Good morning! This is your daily ☕️ Techpresso.
In today's Techpresso:
🚀 SpaceX wants to refuel Starships in space
🤖 Scientists create drone with nervous system
🛠️ Google’s AI agent discovers software bugs
📈 Nvidia replaces Intel in Dow Jones after 25 years
🛡️ TP-Link routers hacked in account takeover attacks
🎁 + 6 other news you might like
🔮 + 0 handpicked research papers and tools
🚀 SpaceX wants to refuel Starships in spaceLINK
SpaceX plans to test propellant transfer between two Starships in orbit starting in March, aiming to achieve a significant technical milestone for future lunar missions.
NASA awarded SpaceX a $4.05 billion contract to develop human-rated Starship vehicles for lunar exploration, with the first crewed moon landing under the Artemis program scheduled for September 2026.
The ship-to-ship propellant transfer and other tests are part of NASA's collaborative approach with SpaceX, marking significant progress towards an uncrewed Starship moon landing demonstration.
🤖 Scientists create drone with nervous systemLINK
Scientists at the University of Southampton have created a drone equipped with an optical fiber-based "nervous system" designed to enhance flight duration and operational efficiency.
This innovative system decreases inspection frequency, boosting safety and reliability while cutting operational costs by monitoring the drone's structure in real time, similar to biological nerves.
The technology, tested on a student-developed drone, shows potential to extend drone missions without extensive ground support, with hopes for commercialization by 2025.
🛠️ Google’s AI agent discovers software bugsLINK
Google's AI project, initially named "Project Naptime" and later called "Big Sleep," successfully discovered a previously unknown and exploitable software vulnerability in SQLite, an open-source database engine.
This achievement marks the first time an AI agent has identified an unknown exploitable memory-safety issue in widely-used software, highlighting the potential for AI to play a significant role in software defense against hackers.
Following the discovery, Google reported the vulnerability before any official software release, prompting SQLite to issue a fix, showcasing a proactive approach by deploying AI to enhance cybersecurity measures.
📈 Nvidia replaces Intel in Dow Jones after 25 yearsLINK
Nvidia is set to replace Intel in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, highlighting a shift towards artificial intelligence and significant changes in the semiconductor sector.
Nvidia’s market capitalization has surged to $3.3 trillion, driven by high demand for its GPUs from major tech firms like Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Amazon.
Intel has struggled this year, dealing with manufacturing challenges and increased competition, leading to a significant drop in its shares and planned cost-cutting measures.
🛡️ TP-Link routers hacked in account takeover attacksLINK
Thousands of TP-Link routers have been hacked to create a botnet used in extensive account takeover attacks, mainly targeting Microsoft’s Azure cloud service.
The botnet, known as Botnet-7777, was first identified in October 2023 and uses port 7777 to manage its activities across a global network of over 16,000 devices at its peak.
Microsoft's CovertNetwork-1658, as they call the botnet, is utilized by Chinese threat actors to perform sophisticated password spray attacks, making it difficult to trace and prevent access to various sectors quickly.
Other news you might like
Runway goes 3D with new AI video camera controls for Gen-3 Alpha Turbo.LINK
Meet KolibriOS, the lightweight OS that can even boot from a 1.44MB floppy.LINK
Intel’s future laptops will have memory sticks again.LINK
A scientist built a robot clone to give lectures and answer audience questions.LINK
Disney establishes new unit to oversee AI and XR adoption.LINK
Okta vulnerability allowed accounts with long usernames to log in without a password.LINK
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